Abstract

Background: In the case of allergies to outdoor mould spores and plant pollen allergens, which are often concomitant,doubts may arise as to the role of mould allergens in inducing specifi c clinical manifestations.Establishing their signifi cance is crucial for qualifying the patient for specifi c immunotherapy.This information also helps to reduce the percentage of therapeutic failures.Material/Methods: The study population comprised 31 patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis who were allergic to both plant pollen allergens and mould spores. In each patient we performed a skin prick test, sIgE level determination, and a specifi c nasal provocation test using mould allergens, according to standard allergological diagnostic procedure, and the results were objectifi ed using acoustic rhinometry.Results: Positive NPT results were obtained in 22 patients. The positive results were more frequent in persons allergic to Cladosporium herbarum (92.3%) than in those allergic to Alternaria alternata (55.5%);these differences were statistically signifi cant (p=0.039). No differences were found between the two subgroups in terms of the sIgE levels (p=0.13). In the study group as a whole, a high correlation between the results of acoustic rhinometry and the intensity of clinical manifestations was observed after administration of the NPT (correlation coeffi cient of 0.9). The correlation between the sIgE levels and the results of the skin prick tests and the NPT was much lower (0.48 and 0.66, respectively).Conclusions: The specifi c nasal provocation test is a safe and easy diagnostic modality, and acoustic rhinometry provides a good method of measuring it.

Keywords: Alternaria - immunology, Cladosporium - immunology, Nasal Provocation Tests - methods, Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial - immunology, Rhinometry, Acoustic - methods, Skin Tests - methods, Allergens - immunology, Alternaria - immunology, Cladosporium - immunology, Hypersensitivity - immunology, Immunoglobulin E - blood, Nasal Provocation Tests - methods, Pollen - immunology, Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial - immunology, Rhinometry, Acoustic - methods, Skin Tests - methods